KUALA LUMPUR – Indonesia is no longer keen on sending its citizens to work as domestic helpers in Malaysia due to bad treatment and unpaid wages.
Indonesian Ambassador to Malaysia Hermono said documents of only 10 people have been fully processed to allow them to work as helpers in Malaysia.
He added that Indonesia is moving away from supplying domestic workers to Malaysia and the Middle East, but is yet to decide on a deadline, reported The Star.
He was reported as saying that Indonesian helpers in Malaysia commonly face mistreatment and unpaid wages.
The arrival of the first batch of domestic workers will only be in mid-July, and has been delayed due to their training, he added.
On May 31, it was reported that the arrival of Indonesian domestic workers was delayed despite overwhelming demand.
However, the two countries had signed on April 1 a memorandum of understanding on the employment and protection of Indonesian domestic workers in Malaysia.
Under the agreement, workers are entitled to weekly and annual leave, the right to communicate, and the ability to lodge complaints via an online system.
It was also agreed that employers or agencies would no longer be able to withhold passports and are allowed only one maid per household of not more than six people. – The Vibes, July 1, 2022
